DAP caves in to ethno-centric policies domineered by Pribumi in Pakatan Harapan Manifesto

Any party’s election manifesto cannot disregard the spirit and content of the Federal Constitution. Every party must respect the spirit of our Federal Constitution, which embraces the plural and secular nature of our country.  

We cannot run away from the reality of this nation that was founded in a spirit of tolerance and accommodation. It is this foundation that the nation has progressed and had been built upon.

The highest law of the land enshrines that more than two-thirds majority is needed in order for some characters of the Constitution to be changed.

In PAS’ manifesto for the 14^th general election (GE) which sees the theocratic party determined to push through its proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 to enable more draconian religious criminal-coded punishments, PAS is attempting to  challenge  the Constitution and thereby attacks the  secularism and the pluralistic approaches and practices  of Barisan Nasional.

Barisan Nasional is about tolerance, multiracialism and multiculturalism, and we represent the way forward for our  country, along moderation and towards progress and nation-building.

DAP on the other hand has caved into the demands of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. They have changed their "race free politics" under the Common Policy Framework and the Buku Jingga of Pakatan Rakyat to a race-based party under Pakatan Harapan with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad after being hijacked by Dr Mahathir.

For example, the  Pakatan Harapan Manifesto has mentioned in total 25 times the term “Bumiputera”, 35 times “Malays”, five times “Chinese”, 48 times “Indian” and 24 times “Orang Asal”.

At 26% of the nation’s population, the Malaysian Chinese form the second highest ethnic group in Malaysia. Yet however, in total, Pribumi has been mentioned 60 times and the Indians mentioned about 10 times more than the Chinese in the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto. This shows that DAP has taken the Chinese votes for granted. Disregarding the needs and interests of the Malaysian Chinese, DAP is only interested in the Malay and Indian votes despite claiming to be non-racial.

They are now making a U-turn and are embracing pro-Bumiputra policies, which in the past they attributed to Umno and blamed MCA for, deriding MCA with all sorts of monikers.

*Even worse, while BN is moving towards a more level-playing field, removing protectionist barriers whereby in 2009 after taking office, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib detached a key pillar of the New Economic Policy by announcing that  firms which seek to be public listed are no longer required to allocate 30 percent of their shares to Bumiputera groups.

As BN pushes towards meritocracy whereby aid should be delivered on a needs basis rather than ethno-centrism, disappointingly, the much-hyped Pakatan Harapan Manifesto does not hide its avowed policies for Bumiputeras but glaringly and openly supports preferential social and economic policies to aggrandise Bumiputera equity. Looks like it is still UMNO lama with Dr Mahathir at the helm of Pakatan Harapan.

The clarion call of “Reformasi” by PKR and BArisan Alternatif from 20 years ago to combat every evil reflected in what Dr Mahathir was then known to stand for, and even now, is as good as dead, given that the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto is race centric, having turn its back and now shows its ugly rear to the universal values of social justice, human rights, meritocracy, civil society, etc.

Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker
MCA Publicity Spokesperson
MCA Central Committee Member

-MCA online-